Council’s rough sleeping support boosted by £121,869 grant

The Council’s ongoing commitment to tackling rough sleeping in Reading has been strengthened by a £121,869 grant.

Reading was one of 115 local councils to benefit from a slice of an overall £10m national fund which recognises the significant pressures local authorities are under to increase emergency accommodation and safeguard vulnerable people at risk from sleeping rough this winter.

The Council has moved swiftly to direct the funding to a number of initiatives which will help people sleeping rough in Reading this winter. These include:

• Provision of emergency accommodation during periods of SWEP, the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol triggered by forecast temperatures of 0 degrees or below for three or more consecutive nights
• Supporting the Bed for a Night (B4N) winter shelter run by FAITH Christian Group
• Planning to create a daytime warm space offer between January and March, run by voluntary and charity sector partners

The Government grant must be spent by the end of March 2025.

Matt Yeo, Lead Councillor for Housing, said:

“As a Council, our response to rough sleeping has always been very comprehensive, and the desire to help those in need is shown in the many different ways we already work with charity partners to alleviate the issue. This funding comes at a time when the pressure is greatest on our services, and will allow us to strengthen our response yet further to continue making a meaningful difference to the lives of people who need help the most”.

The Council’s SWEP response, working alongside charity partner St Mungo’s, is an essential part of a programme of assistance in place to protect the most vulnerable from the elements. Forecasts and temperatures are monitored every week throughout the winter to ensure that at the most critical times everyone can be kept safe.

While pressures on rough sleeping services increase in the winter, addressing it is a year-round focus for the Council, working with a range of partners to provide those sleeping rough with opportunities to ‘break the cycle’ and find somewhere to call home.

The Council’s range of commissioned services to accommodate and support people rough sleeping also includes The Salvation Army, Reading YMCA and Launchpad Reading. 249 bed spaces (in addition to the SWEP response) are offered across its Homelessness Support Services to help single people and couples who are found rough sleeping, or at risk of rough sleeping.

Residents are also being urged by the Council to play a role in looking after the most vulnerable. If you have seen someone bedded down who you are worried about, please go to www.thestreetlink.org.uk to send an alert to our local Rough Sleeping Outreach Service so that the teams can visit them and offer accommodation and support. Alternatively they can drop in to the Council offices between 9am and 5pm. More information can be found on our website at www.reading.gov.uk/roughsleeping